As you all know by now, I have been in my new home for about a month and I am STILL working on getting unpacked and settled in. Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun…or something like that. There are a few things I learned/relearned from this move that I simply have to share with you all in hopes that it will help you avoid some of the challenges I had to overcome over the past 30 days.

Get help, BUT…
My mom will be 70 in a few short months and she’s still as tough as nails. In addition to being my dad’s caregiver as he deals with the early stages of Alzheimers, she is literally the strongest woman I know, mentally and physically. I have relocated a few times in the past 10 years or so and she has been by my side every single time. This recent move was no different.
I packed just about everything on my own with the exception of a few last-minute items including the USB cable for my printer. As I look back on that 5am sprint to get the remaining items out of the townhome and clean it up prior to turning the keys over to the landlord, I realize now that my mom tried hard to tell me to check some of the old boxes prior to setting them at the curb for bulk trash pick-up. There was one box, in particular, that contained some old wires and crap. I am almost certain that my mom dropped my printer cords in there. Not a big deal in this particular case, but here’s the lesson…Lesson#1: Double-check everything. It might feel like a pain at the moment, but it could save you quite a bit of frustration on the back end.

It costs money to move…
I remember reading an article about moving and it was very clear that it costs money to move every item because it is factored into the size of the moving truck and the cost of the movers (packers, loaders, and/or drivers). Soooo…I KNEW for a fact that I’d be replacing some things and simply didn’t plan far enough in advance to sell/donate those items. No Bueno!
I now have pieces of my old desk in the spare room and one piece of it here in my office that my little one uses for her homework. Not sure of why since she has her own desk in her room, but that’s neither here nor there. There are a few other large items that were loaded into the truck that have since been replaced. *deep breaths* It happens. You live and you learn.
Note: I just decided today to section off a corner in the garage for crafting (a.k.a Pinterest playtime) and will assemble the old L-shaped desk there! Bingo!Lesson #2: There’s a price associated with moving every single item so sell or donate home office (and other) items ahead of time that you plan on replacing in the immediate future.

Plan time to breathe…The logistics for every single piece of this move fell on my plate as a single mom, so it definitely felt a bit overwhelming at times with everything from travel back-and-forth from state-to-state to the financial side of moving including closing costs and moving truck loaders. As a matter-of-fact, it felt more than a bit overwhelming at times and I had to really lean on my Faith to get through it.Help me understand, please, why I didn’t take more time off from work. Why wasn’t I intentional about carving time out of my week just for myself to avoid a breakdown? Did I really believe that I was SuperMom during this move? I (we) MUST do better!Lesson #3 (and the most important one): Plan time away from ALL OF IT before, during, and after the move to clear your head and recharge your battery. I don’t know how I would have made it through this move with all of my marbles if I didn’t work from home. I just can’t see it! If you’ve given any thought to working from home, but you’re unsure of where to start, go ahead and click HERE to sign up for the weekly newsletter that contains work-from-home tips and opportunities.

Author

Kristina Butler is a Certified HR Professional and FT Virtual Recruiter for a major financial services firm. As the working mother of two and the working daughter of aging parents, she understands the importance of landing an opportunity with the ideal compensation and work-life balance.

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